I applied for taking part in the course titled Practical ideas in teaching EFL to high school students with the aim of developing my methodology skills in teaching EFL students between B2 and C1 levels. I also was open to learn fresh ideas how to improve students’ learning skills and motivation besides giving them the learners’ autonomy, inspiring their self-reflection. I’ve been teaching for nearly 30 years now. I’ve been teaching CLIL for 23 years (in upper primary: Science, earlier History of Art, Civilisation and Literature of the English-speaking world; in secondary: general Science – Maths). I’ve got a thorough understanding of the subject matter, which I try to keep up-to-date. Furthermore, I wanted to have knowledge to share with my colleagues in the language department of the school I’m responsible for.
Prior to my mobility I made sure that I was fully aware of all the details of my mobility, I selected the course to support my needs, I completed the needs analysis and the essential documents sent by ACET, I planned and arranged my journey and accommodation, searched for information about local public transport. I had my insurance and EU Health Card ready, checked my travel documents, had some cash and my credit card sorted. I also prepared with where to go and what to see to absorb more from the Irish culture.
During the mobility everything I planned went smooth. I started the onward journey with a stopover in Dublin visiting famous sights, allowing some time to adjust to the new environment. On arrival to Cork I checked in the student accommodation, found out about the location and journey to ACET.
On the first day of the course there was a general orientation where I got my student card and the schedule of the week. I also learnt who to contact with different issues. On weekdays I had classes from 9.00 to 12.55 with a 15-minute break at 10.45. Since it was a combined course of four different courses, the first day our teacher checked our needs and tailored it to us to make the most of the week. Having the four different courses combined had its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, you may have gained more topic-relevant knowledge, on the other hand, there was a greater spectrum of topic addressed that you could benefit from. We had some theory to support EFL teaching, we put some theory into practice while cooperating with team members and exchanging ideas with fellow participants. At the end of the course we completed an exit form about the mobility period with ACET.
I also participated in three afternoon activities organised by ACET: a short walking tour of Cork city, a visit to Jameson Distillery, a guided tour in Cork City Gaul. When I had free time. I socialized with other ACET participants, we went to Irish pubs with live music, we discovered other parts of Ireland like Cobh (visiting the Titanic Experience) and Kinsale (attending the art festival plus setting the ground for building cooperation with locals in the theme of sustainability).
I benefitted a lot from taking part in this mobility. To start with, my digital skills improved greatly, firstly, since I was keeping a digital diary of the mobility illustrated with personal notes, photos and direct links to relevant websites. I learnt how to set up and use all the essentials to a successful digital lesson. In class I took digital notes organised by days in a separate folder. My notes included my photos taken in the course, videos, relevant links, new applications, QR codes, plans and tasks carried out through cooperation with fellow participants. Also, I was the one, who set a common platform for our course members to invite and exchange ideas, to share experience and discuss teaching-related issues, to organise activities and to keep in touch later on. In class I learnt new applications I can use in teaching, I collected them on a separate starting page of my mobile phone: to have them at hands ready to use quickly when it is needed. Just a few of the apps I learnt to use in class: Cambridge Dictionary, Freerice (videos to use), games that develop language learning (Charades, Story Cubes, Werewolf, Man Bites Dog, Pocket Party, Call my Bluff). I got to know new teachers’ resources: Lingua House (for instant lessons) ESL Brains, TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers), ISL Collective, The teacher’s Corner, Perfect English Grammar…etc
Secondly, I improved my methodology with strategies to use videos in class (TEDEd), I learnt how to use AI to stimulate learner’s motivation (Chat GPT, Bard, Midjourney, Dull-e) and how to tailor what I want to use to the level of my students. Furthermore, I had some practical ideas on how I can give support to my students and their parents in school with regular issues (discipline problems, students with spectrum disorders). Moreover, I got aware of the importance of role-plays and poems in teaching EFL. I also looked at and compared new course books I could teach from (Total English Advanced, Language Hub, Outcomes). Finally, I learnt a lot about Irish culture (story-telling in pubs), their history (the great famine), their celebrities and their language. I even learnt some Irish words.
All in all, this mobility gave me unforgettable memories and stimulation for putting all I learnt into practice when back to teaching. What I enjoyed most was improving my digital skills, the wide range of apps and websites I met in the course, getting my way around in the country, the live Irish music in pubs and absorbing the culture, Dublin – with its famous sights and bustling streets, the friendly and helpful people, Cork – the Venice of Ireland with its numerous bridges, huge parks, unique pieces of architecture, visiting other towns and places, and last but not least, the time spent with friends and colleagues.